Conceptual Framework for Sustainability

• In Event: Sustainability: Conceptual Frameworks, evaluating progress and exemplars of it all in action

Proposal

This presentation will describe the framework utilized on the GEC to assess progress on the sustainability outcome. The GEC Sustainability Framework provided a conceptual and evaluative framework on GEC’s third outcome. Alongside learning and transition outcomes, reporting progress on sustainability across a portfolio of 42 projects required a coherent framework that both resonated with existing literature and that captured the diverse indicators across GEC’s portfolio of projects. The diversity across projects included some that were designed to achieve scale; others sought to innovate approaches where none existed before. The definition of sustainability, therefore, could not privilege scale alone without recognizing the importance of the iterations of inputs that come before scale is possible. The GEC Sustainability Framework consists of 5 goals across 3 levels and 2 timepoints (midline and endline of each project). The 5 goals increased in ambition and are:
1. contribution - demonstrating knowledge, practices, or processes for use within the sector
2. continuation - knowledge, practices and/or processes are established within the targeted beneficiary group
3. adoption - established knowledge, practices and/or processes are integrated within existing systems, knowledge and practices
4. replication - high-impact knowledge, activities, processes are picked up by other actors to benefit other people
5. scaling - benefits of an established set of practices are realized by a significant number of people
The 3 levels reflected the implementation of activities: school, community, system. The goal x level x timepoint framework used on the GEC grounded the definition of progress in the 41 project's intended designs. For example, a project designed to integrate teacher training practices into existing national systems is assessed according to the success statement for the adoption goal. Furthermore, expectations at midline would differ than at endline: at midline, success is evidence of groundwork for longer-term adoption while at endline, evidence of adoption within existing systems is sought. Utilizing this framework on the GEC afforded the ability to aggregate and report progress on the sustainability outcome to the funder while also honoring projects’ unique designs and contexts.

Author

• Hetal Thukral, DDI Center for Education, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)